Evolution in faith

Humans might share the physical stages of growth and reproduction

with animals, but humans differ in spiritual growth. The story of

human evolution is mentioned in the Quran (23:12-14). After

mentioning the physical stages, Allah asserts that “then, we

developed out of it -- human -- another creature,” meaning that, from

an animal life, Allah creates human life with all its capacities and

responsibilities.

IMAM MOSTAFA AL-QAZWINI

Islamic Education Center of

Orange County

There are a number of different takes on this within Judaism.

Obviously, those who believe in the Biblical text are struck with the

discrepancy between Genesis, where Creation is described as having

occurred in six days, and evolution, according to which the world is

billions of years in the making.

Some scholars maintain that the “six days” of creation are not

24-hour days, but rather vast time periods in the history of

evolution. Other scholars take the Bible literally and say that,

although carbon-dating seems to imply a universe that is billions of

years old, it is possible that God created an “old” world.

Other scholars point to the fact that conditions such as a great

flood may have altered the state of the universe so that it would

appear to our eyes as older than it actually is. In any event,

whether the theory of evolution is or is not correct misses the

primary point, which is that at some point something had to have

started the ball rolling. Go back as far as you want, even billions

of years, and you have to come to a beginning.

Who caused that beginning? That is the question that Judaism asks

-- and answers.

RABBI REUVEN MINTZ

Chabad Jewish Center

Newport Beach

The comedian Robin Williams, who is an Episcopalian, has a “Late

Night”-like “Top 10 Reasons to be an Episcopalian.”

His No. 1 reason is “No matter what you believe, there’s bound to

be at least one other Episcopalian who agrees with you.” (“Christian”

could confidently be substituted for “Episcopalian” in this No. 1

reason.) Robin Williams’ No. 9 reason is “You can believe in

dinosaurs.” I “believe” in dinosaurs, that is, I think they lived on

this planet before Homosapiens, as so do most

Episcopalians/Anglicans.

The Episcopal Church has accepted the theory of evolution as an

account of humankind’s origin, as well as other contemporary

scientific discoveries, without disturbing our central beliefs. In

both freedom of inquiry and Biblical criticism, the Episcopal

Church’s position has a place for a “modernist” school of thought

among our members, as well as “catholic” and “evangelical” emphases.

Evolution is not emphasized, but it is accepted by most

Anglicans/Episcopalians.

THE VERY REV. CANON

PETER D. HAYNES

St. Michael & All Angels

Episcopal Church

Judaism does not believe that science can lay bare the deepest

mysteries of creation. Robert Jastrow, director of NASA’s Goddard

Institute for Space Studies, wrote, “For the scientist who has lived

by faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He

has scaled the mountains of ignorance, and is about to conquer the

highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted

by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.”

The slogan “science has proven” sounds so solid, so imposing and

useful in these materialistic times. But no science can ever touch

the essence of things.

The opening chapter of Genesis would conform with those who posit

creation in stages, and from lower to higher and more complex forms

of life. It begins, though, with a declaration beyond the ken of the

scientific logos: “In the beginning, God created.” Science may leave

God out of the process, while for religion, there can be no process

without the initial and continuous governance of God. This, for the

man of faith, is the essence of existence. Genesis is not a book of

science. It is not so much about the origin of life as the meaning of

life. This lies beyond empirical investigation. Ultimately, let us

not be so concerned about the origin of life as with the destiny of

the living.

RABBI MARK MILLER

Temple Bat Yahm